My friend The Church Lady has been using this Emeril Lagasse shepherd’s pie recipe for a few years now. When we decided to go wild and make 100 Freezer Meals in 5 Hours, I knew I wanted to include this recipe. It’s a fairly simple freezer meal recipe and packs a pretty serious flavor punch. It was a great addition to our menu!
We of course didn’t make just one pan like the recipe below will make, we made FIFTEEN pans all at one time! But we did made a few adjustments: We used Zaycon ground beef instead of lamb and tweaked a few ingredients. It made for a heap of deliciousness at dinner!!
Freezer Meal Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup chopped yellow onions
- 2 carrots , chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 ounces button mushrooms , wiped clean and sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 1/4 cups beef stock
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound potatoes
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup red wine {optional}
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese , grated
Instructions
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Grease a 9×13 disposable pan and set aside.In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the beef and cook until browned. Add the onions, carrots, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, smoked paprika, and thyme and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
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Add the mushrooms and bay leaf, and cook for 4 more minutes, or until liquid is almost absorbed. Add the tomato paste and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add in the stock, Worcestershire sauce, and red wine {if using} and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, or until thickened.
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Remove bay leaf.While meat mixture is cooking, boil the potatoes in salted water, making sure the water covers the potatoes by an inch, until tender {about 10 minutes}. Drain and return to the pot. Reduce heat to low, mash the potatoes and then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and nutmeg, and mash to combine.
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Add the cream and mix well. Remove from the heat.
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Spoon meat mixture into the prepared dish and top with the mashed potatoes, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, cover and freeze.
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To cook after freezing, bake at 400F until browned and bubbly on top, about 30 minutes.
Links to freezer pans I commonly use:
- Aluminum Foil Pan Containers with Lids 8.5″ x 6″ x 3″
- Aluminum Foil Deep Pans 9″ x 13″
- Round 9 Inch Aluminum Foil Pans with lids
Find More of My Freezer Meal Recipes
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Sarah G says
Where do you get your disposable pans from?
Mavis says
I buy them in bulk from Costco.
Sarah G says
What sizes do they have there?
Kari says
Are the cooking times you give from a thawed or frozen state?
Mavis says
From frozen. It’s already cooked so you are basically just warming everything through. Cooking times will vary of course, but it should be right around then.
Jenny says
I tried this tonight and it was freaking awesome! Even my 2yr old and 6yr old loved it! My husband liked it so much that he has requested it to be made for his hunting trips. Thanks for the new recipe!
Laura says
I’ve been making this recipe for years, but I didn’t know it could be successfully frozen! Thanks for the info – this will be a huge timesaver!
Mavis says
It is such a time saver, and it tastes great cooked from frozen!
Lynsey Bodeker says
How long will it last in the freezer before it should be thrown out?
This is an amazing recipe can’t wait to try it out and have quick and easy dinners 🙂
Mavis says
3-6 months is ideal but I’ve cooked them a year later and no one died. Ha!!
Katie K. says
What do you cover the pans with so that the food stays fresh and doesn’t get freezer-burned? My thoughts go to tinfoil, but does that really seal it well enough?
J says
Just wanted to share my experience with this recipe so that I may potentially help others. The amounts called for is way too little for a 9×13, it barely spreads out to fill the pan. The amount of mashed potatoes isn’t really proportional to the meat either. It covers the meat but barely, it’s a very thin layer. I’m used to shepherds pie being half potatoes, if not more. Lastly, I tripled this recipe and the potatoes are really salty and peppery.